Chafing-plate.



C. T. WESTLAKE.

CHAFING PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.20. 1915.

1,154,223. PatentedSept. 21, 1915.

[VICE/WIDE MWM APH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

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CHARLES T. WESTLAKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, .ASSIGNOR TO COMMONWEALTH STEEL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORIOB'ATION OF'NEW JERSEY.

CHAFING-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Application filed February 20, 1915. Serial No. 9,758.

1 b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. lVnsr- LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Chafing-Plates, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to a chafing-plate for a bar or analogous member reciprocatory or otherwise slidable thereon, and has for its object to provide an automatically adjustable chafing-plate, so that its bearing surface, when worn, is moved toward the said bar and the clearance between the parts thereby maintained.

It consists in features of novelty as hereinafter described and claimed reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing forniing part of this specification, whereon,

Figure 1, is a longitudinal section through my improved chafingplate as applied to the underside of a railroad car buffer-stem Fig. 2, a similar View to Fig. 1, to enlarged-scale, of the chafing-plate detached; Fig. 3, an inverted plan thereof; Fig. 4, a similar view to Fig. 1, to enlarged scale, of the lower block combined with the chafingplate and forming part of my invention; Fig. 5, a top plan of the same; Fig. 6, a detail View to enlarged scale of the spring in its initial form for connecting the said plate and block together as seen in Fig. 1, and Fig. 7, a diagrammatic view showing the position of the chafingplate, when worn, relatively to the lower block, and bearing against the underside of the buffer-stem at the normal level thereof.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

a. represents the buffer-beam and Z) the buffer-stem of a railroad car, the buffer stem Z) being adapted to reciprocate longitudinally through openings 1, 1 (suiiicient clearance being allowed therein for free play of the stem 7)) formed respectively through the'front and rear walls of the beam at and engaged by the buffer 0 in the usual wellknown manner.

lVithin the opening 1 beneath the bufferstem 6 is fitted my improved chafing-plate (Z, on the upper or bearing face 2 of which the buffer-stem Z) is adapted to ride at all times. The lower or outer face 3 of the chafingplate (Z on its underside is preferably wedgeshaped or inclined at a more or less acute angle from its minimum distance from the front end of the bearing face 2 of the chafing-plate (Z to its maximum distance from the said bearing face at the rear end of the plate d, with a series of preferably, triangularsluipedteeth 4 which in the normal position of the plate (Z as seen in Fig. 1, are adapted to engage in similarly shaped teeth. a formed transversely on the correspondingly inclined upper face 3 of a block 6 which may be fixed within the opening 1 of the beam a to the bottom .wall thereof in any suitable manner, preferably, in the present case, by a bottom dowel 5, and by the side walls 6 of the opening 1, between which the base of the block 0 closely fits. It is to be here noted that, while the outer faces 3, 8',

of the chafing-plate (Z and block 6 respectively, are inclined at a more or less acute angle, the sides of the teeth 4, i, on the said faces respectively, are inclined at an obtuse angle for the purpose hereinafter more particularly referred to. Through the front wall '7 of the block 0 is formed an opening 8 and through the rear wall 9 of the wedgeshaped part of the plate (Z is formed a si1nilar opening 10, the openings 8 and 10, in the normal. position of the plate cl and block 6 as seen in Fig. 1, being in alinement.

For connecting the plate (Z and block 0 longitudinally together, I preferably, use a spiral spring f having its end portions 11, and 12 initially straight as shown in Fig. 6. In assembling the spring f within the space between the plate (Z and block 0 the straight end portion 11 of the spring f is passed from the inside of the wall 7 of the block 6 through the opening 8 and is then turned upward and returned against the outside and top respectively, of the wall 7, whereby the front end of the spring f is clenched or fixed to the wall 7, as indicated by full lines in Fig. l, and bydotted lines in Fig. 6. The rear straight end portion 12 of the spring f is then passed through the opening 10 in the rear wall 9 of the plate (Z and by. pulling on its projecting portion beyond the wall 9 a requisite amount of tension is imparted to the spring f for causing the plate (Z to be constrained in a forward direction as indi cated by the arrow in Figs. 1 and 7, when the straight portion 12 of the spring is then turned downward and. returned against the outside and bottom respectively, of the wall 9, and the rear end of the spring f thereby fixed to the plate (Z and the assembled parts of the device in position for use.

It will be noted that, for obtaining the necessary clearance for the location and operation of the spring f within the space between the plate cl and block 6, the inclined toothed portion 8, 4, is preferably omitted from the middle of the plate d on its underside, for a suitable distance from its rear end, so as to form two side portions only, the inclined toothed portion 3, 4, thence extending entirely across the plate d to. its front end as shown in Fig. 3; also that, the inclined toothed portion 3, 4 is similarly omitted from the'middle of the block 6 for its entire length as shown in Fig. 5.

In operation, assuming the chafing-plate (Z and block 6 to be in the position seen in Fig. 1 with the teeth 4, 4, fully engaged and the buffer-stem Z) at its normal level and bearing on the face 2 of the plate d, as the bearing face 2 becomes worn by the play of the buffer stem 1), the resilience of the spring pulling the chafing-plate cl toward the block 6 in the direction of the arrow causes the teeth 4 of the plate (Z in the upward play of the stem Z), to be gradually raised and moved forward within the spaces between the teeth 4 of the block e as seen in Fig. 7, whereby the wear of the plate d is come spondingly taken up and its bearing face 2 maintained against the underside of the buffer-stem 1), until by the continued wear of the plate (Z the teeth 4 are caused to override their initially engaged teeth 4 and reengage with the succeeding teeth 4, which owing to the inclination of the faces 3, 3, are at a higher level than the preceding teeth 4, and so on, as the wear of the plate (Z continues, its bearing face 2 being thereby maintained in contact with the underside of the buffer-stem b at all times. It is to be noted that, in case of the absence of the teeth'4, 4, from the acutely inclined faces 3, 3, respectively, the plate (Z when moved forward by the spring 7, would become jammed between the block 6 and the bufferstem 7) and thereby cause undue strain and resistance to the reciprocatory movement of the latter, whereas, by the action of the obtuse angled teeth 4, 4, the free movement of the buffer-stem b in its downward play is insured and at the same time the necessary contact between it and the plate cZ maintained. As the chafing-plate Z is advanced by the spring f its front end which is consequently reduced in thickness by wear, projects beyond the front side of the block 0,

so that on the backward movement of the buffer 0 this projecting end portion of the 'plate (Z will be struck and-broken off by the buffer 0 and the normal stroke of the latter thereby maintained.

I claim: In a chafingplate for a bar 1 movable against and cooperative therewith, the said plate having an acute angled face on its underside, a fixed blockhaving a face corresponding to and adapted-to bear. against the said face of the plate, a-series of interlocking obtuse angled teeth formed transversely on the said faces respectively, and means for automatically moving. the said'plate longi- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 7

Washington, I). G. 

